Vending-machine.



No. 781,996. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. W. J. BRENNAN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rrmm JULY 15, 1904.

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No. 781,996. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. W. J. BRENNAN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION Hum JULY 15, 1904.

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No. 781,996. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

W. J. BRENNAN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1904.

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Patented February '7, 1905.

FFICEo \VILLIAM J. BRENNAN, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,996, dated February7, 1905. Application filed July 15,1904. Serial No. 216,639.

1'0 who/1t it new calmer/t.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. BRENNAN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Day- I ton, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vending-Machines; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specitication.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements invending-machines, and more specilically to that class used in vendingcigars, candies in stick form, or any otherclass of goods sold in likeform.

Preceding a detail description of the invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of themachine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a section onthe line .rn' of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 isa sectional view of the carrier or elevator and the chute leadingthereto. Fig. 5 is a detail of the coin-chute.

Throughout the specilication similar reference characters indicatecorrespondingparts.

1 designates a plate or base from which rise standards 2 2. Supportedbetween these standards is an inclined chute 6. Projecting rearwardlyfrom the sides of the chute 6 is a frame 3, upon which is supported areceptacle -1 in which the goods is contained. The receptacle is held inplace by means of thumb-screws 5. The original receptacle containing thegoods may be used by removing the forward end to allow the contentsthereof to be fed into the chute. Supported in the front standards 2 areshafts '7 and 8. Upper shaft 7 carries a grooved wheel 9 and lower shaft8 a toothed wheel 10. Passing over wheels 9 and 10 is a chain elevatoror carrier 1 1. The said elevator consists of pockets or buckets 11,connected at each alternate link of chain 11, as shown in Figs. 2 and 1.It will be observed that the pockets 11' are attached to the links byprojecting the ends of the links through the pockets and clenching them.

It will be observed in Figs. .2 and 1 that as the pockets of theelevator pass the exit end of the chute 6 they are widely separated andare thus enabled to pick up the cigars 12 orother articles from thechute. It will he observed that as the pockets move up the spaceintervening between the pockets becomes smaller, so that only onearticle of any kind can he rctained. The contents of the pockets 1 1 areretained until said pockets start down on the forward side, when thecontents are dropped into the trough 12', which opens outside of thecasing in which the machine is placed. (See Fig. 2.) The necessarymovement is given the elevator as follows: 11 designates a coin-chutehaving an opening in the casing 15, as at 13. The chute issupportcd onstandard 2 and frame 3 by brackets 16. At the lower or exit end of thechute is a lever 17, fulcrumcd at 17, one arm of said lever closing theoponingof the chute. On thcextrcme endoftheotherarmoftheleverisarollerlS. Extending in the rear of said roller18 on lever 17 is an opening 19. 9.0 designates a crankwheel mountedloosely on shaft 8. Connected to crank-wheel 20 and passing through thecasing is a push-rod 21.. Pivoted on the outer surface of saidcrank-wheel is a lever-pawl 22, having a curved arm 22 passing overroller 18 and through opening 19 of lever .17. 22, the pawl proper oflever 22, is in a position above a ratchet 23 110 engage said ratchet atthe proper time. Ratchet 23 is rigidly mounted on shaft 8, and anymovement thereof will also move the elevator or carrier 11. From theforegoing description it will be seen that a coin dropped in the chute11 passingthc exit end will move lever 17 to elevate the roller 18,raising the curved arm 22 of the lever-pawl 22, causing the pawl 22 toengage ratchet 23. Pushing inwardly on rod 21 will move crank-wheel andby means of the pawl thereon will move the ratchet 2;), and thus givemovement to the carrier or elevator.

In order that only one pocket of the elevator be emptied by eachoperation as described above, the following device is used: The inend aratchet 31.

ner surface of CIaIllPWlIQGl contains a depression 24, the ends of whichform shoulders and 26. 27 designates a stop rising from the base, saidstop engaging shoulder 25 on crank-wheel 20 when the machine is not inoperation, due to a coil-spring 28. When the push-rod 21 is operated, itcan move the crank-wheel 20 only until the stop 27 engages the shoulder26. When the crank-wheel has moved this distance, pawl 22, which hasbeen held in engagement with ratchet 23 by a platespring 29, isreleased, having passed beyond the end. of said spring, and rising abovethe spring is drawn back with crank-wheel 20 by a spring 28. Thisforward movement of the crank-wheel has been suflicient to discharge thecontents of one pocket of the carrier. It is obvious that during thismove- ,ment, as described above, the end of the lever 17, covering theexit end of chute 14, will be lowered to such an extent as to allow thecoin to drop from the chute, and thus leave the machine ready foranother operation.

In order that the contents of the receptacle may be gradually and.continuously fed toward the chute, the following devices are employed:In the upper end of the standard 2 is mounted a drum 30, having on itsouter A bell-crank lever 32 is fulcrumed at 33 and carries a pawl 34,which engages ratchet 31. The lower end of said lever contains anelongated opening 35, through which passes a pin 36. Pin 36 isadjustable in a slot 37 of a second bell-crank lever 38, fulcrumed at 17by means of a tap 39 to increase or decrease the feed of the ratchet 31.The lower end of bell-crank lever 38 contains a cam-surface 40, whichengages studs 41 on ratchet 23, due to a spring 42. Extending rearwardlyfrom the side casings of chute 6 are rods 43, which have sliding sleeves44 thereon, said sleeves being connected to drum by a cord or otherflexible connections 45. Connected to the sleeves 44 and extending downinto the receptacle is a plate 46, which acts as a follower to moveforward the contents thereof.

From the above description it will be seen that the movement of thecarrier or elevator by means of the ratchet 23 will be accompanied by aforward movement of the follower as follows: The studs 41 on ratchet 23will actuate the bell-crank lever 38 to give movement to the lever 32through pin 36. Pawl 34 on lever 32 will revolve the ratchet 31, thuswinding the cord 45 on drum 30 and gradually moving forward the follower46.

Means are also provided in the machine to close coin-chute 14 when thecontents of the receptacle have been exhausted as follows: A slidingmember 47 rests on one of the rods 43 and has connected thereto a rod48. The forward end of rod 48 is connected to a lever49, having acam-surface 49 pivoted at 50. Held normally by spring 51 against saidcam and away from the opening 13 of the coin-chute is a slide 52. FromFig. 1 it will be seen that any forward movement of rod 48 will move thelever 49 to throw the slide 52 across the opening 13 of the chute. Thisnecessary movement is given when the follower' 46 reaches the forwardend of the receptacle and the sleeves 44 engage the sliding member 47.

It will be observed in Fig. 5 that the coinchute 14 is inclined in twodirections-namely, toward the exit end to insure the passage of the cointhroughout its length and transversely to its length. Itwill also beobserved that the upper portion of the chute is closed on the inclinedside, as at 54, while at the end of the chute it is open, as at 53. Theobject of this inclination and the opening at the end is to insure theuse of the proper coin. For instance, if the machine is intended to beoperated by a nickel and a coin of smaller diameter, as a penny, is usedthe machine will not operate. The penny will follow the chute as long asit is supported by the wall of said chute; but upon reaching the opening53, owing to the inclination of the chute, it will drop out beforereaching the lever 17, and therefore fail to operatively set themachine. These machines are mounted in suitable casings, portions ofwhich are shown in the various views of the drawings.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a vending-machine, asupportingframe for' the goods-receptacle, a coin-chute, a mainactuating-wheel,a push-rod operatively connected with said wheel, afollower, adrum with which said follower is connected, and lever-and-ratchet devices interposed between said main actuating-wheel andsaid drum, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vending-machine, a main actuatingwheel, a push-rod connectedwith said wheel, a main ratchet-wheel movable with said mainactuating-wheel,afollower, a drum with which said follower is connected,a ratchet-wheel on the shaft of said drum, a lower bell-crank levertripped by the main ratchet-wheel, an upper bell-crank lever actuated bysaid lower bell-crank lever, and a ratchet-pawl carried upon said upperlever and engaging with the ratchet-wheel on the drum-shaft,substantially as set forth.

3. In a vending-machine, amain actuatingwheel, a push-rod operativelyconnected with said wheel, a ratchet-wheel adjacent to said mainactuating-wheel, alever-pawl pivoted to said main actuating-wheel withits engaging end in the path of the ratchet-wheel, a coinchute, and alever with one end projected below the exit end of said coin-chute, andthe other end of said lever engaging the pawl-lever, substantially asset forth.

4. In a vending-machine, an elevator, a follower to feed the goods tosaid elevator, a main actuating-wheel, a push-rod operatively connectedwith said wheel, a ratchet-wheel adjacent to said main actuating-wheel,a drum to which the follower is connected, a coinchute;lever-and-ratchet connections interposed between the exit end of saidcoin-chute and the main actuating-wheel and ratchetwheel, andlever-and-ratchet connections interposed between said ratchet-wheel andthe drum of the follower, substantially as set forth.

5. In a vending-machine, a follower or feeder, a drum, flexibleconnections between said drum and said follower, a ratchet on the end ofsaid drum, a main actuating crankwheel, a ratchet containing studs onone face thereof, a pawl interposed between said mainactuatingcrank-wheel and said ratchet, and a system of levers interposedbetween the studs on said ratchet and said drum-ratchet to actuate thedrum to move forward the follower.

b. In a vending-machine, a main actuatingwheel, a push-rod operativelyconnected to said wheel, a carrier, means interposed between said wheeland carrier to move the carrier, a depression on one face of said wheelforming shoulders thereon, and a stop engaging one of said shoulders andadapted to engage the other of said shoulders when the wheel has had asufiicient movement to discharge one pocket of said carrier,substantially as set forth.

7. In a vending-machine, the combination with a coin-chute and afollower, of a horizontal longitudinally-movable rod engaged by saidfollower when the latter has reached the limit of its dischargingmovement, a laterallymovable slide lying adjacent to the mouth of thecoin-chute and adapted to be moved across said mouth, a lever having acam-surface interposed between said slide and said horizontal rod, and aspring normally holding said slide away from the mouth of thecoin-chute, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses,

\VILLIAM J. BRENNAN.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN W. MeKnowN, C. M. THEOBALD.

